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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter 

RURAL women and girls have been encouraged to grab opportunities in their areas for their empowerment so they can contribute towards development of their communities and families.

Speaking at International Day of Rural Women commemorations at Simunyu Primary School in Lupane on Friday, Lupane District Development Co-ordinator Ms Ennerty Sithole said Government seeks to mainstream gender issues in climate change programmes.

“Today we want to appreciate the work of women and girls from rural areas as they carry the burden of spending time in the fields and contribute to food security. The day is a celebration of centrality of women and girls to the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving well-being and sustaining households.

“When we empower women, we benefit the whole society. Government calls for mainstreaming of gender issues in climate change through climate resilience programmes that help capacitate them so they sustain themselves and their families,” said Ms Sithole.

She said Government had signed and ratified International Conventions on women.

However, Ms Sithole said despite efforts being made, there still remains a wide gap between men and women.

She urged communities to support women who should also take up positions of influence in society.

“As we move towards devolution of power to provinces, women should participate in economic activities such as timber logging, quarry making, sand abstraction, safari, farming and others to be part of the economy,” Ms Sithole said. 

She called for creation of synergies and linkages to come up with private-public-partnerships. 

“We should remain resolute and focused in our endeavour to achieve empowerment of women and the girl child,” she said.

The United Nations set aside the day to be celebrated each year on October 15.

Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development partnered with Ntengwe For Community Development, a non-governmental organisation working in Matabeleland North’s Binga, Hwange and Lupane districts to organise the event under the theme: “Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience”.

Ntengwe executive director Ms Elizabeth Markham called for amendment of some inheritance laws to allow women to own land and property.

“This day serves as a reminder that the world’s sustainable future is not possible without rural women and girls. Women and girls in the rural areas play a significant role in agriculture, food security and nutrition and 80 percent of households without water depend on women and girls for sourcing it. 

“Ntengwe and other stakeholders recognise the great need to empower rural women and girls in the context of climate change. Ntengwe focuses on climate and is implementing multiple programmes to empower women in the face of global warming,” said Ms Markham.

She called for allocation of resources to gender sensitive projects to create a gender responsive ecosystem. —@ncubeleon.